Port Washington recently served as a backdrop for the CBS television series “Bull.”
Filming was conducted at several residences and one commercial location, both indoors and outdoors, said Roy Smitheimer, who handles film shoots for the Town of North Hempstead. He said he could not give specific locations, but scenes were shot around Franklin Avenue and Haven Avenue, and a street scene was shot at Evergreen Avenue and Main Street.
“CBS Studios were here a whole week,” he said. “They started at Sands Point Preserve, and then they moved over to the unincorporated area.”
“Bull,” a primetime series, tells the story of Dr. Jason Bull, a trial consultant who uses his skills in psychology to select jury members and help lawyers win cases. The main character is based on the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, better known today as Dr. Phil. Longtime “NCIS” star Michael Weatherly portrays Jason Bull.
The show debuted in September 2016 and is in its second season. New episodes air on Tuesdays at 9 p.m.
“Bull” regularly draws over 10 million viewers per episode. Although reviews of the show have been somewhat mixed, Weatherly’s performance has been praised.
Smitheimer did get his picture taken with the CBS star.
“Normally I don’t see any of the talent, so this was a shocker,” he said. “My wife and daughter love the show so they were surprised.”
Smitheimer said that he approved 42 film permits last year and that North Hempstead was approaching that number for 2017. He said Netflix considered filming some original content in the area, but shows do not always follow through.
“We said yes, but we didn’t hear back from them,” he said. “They moved on. That happens a lot if it wasn’t exactly the look they had in mind.”
Plenty of production companies like CBS do shoot in North Hempstead. Smitheimer said Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth encourages filming in the area.
“The dollars coming into each community through this [filming] program, it’s a direct infusion of cash,” he said.
